“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” Brene Brown

I have taken these words of Brene Brown to heart this week as I installed a new sculpture at Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut. I spent the week at my alma mater lecturing and guiding the building of a group sculpture with students as they experienced sculpting with raw wool. In what I thought was a good teaching tactic, I brought the newly made rectangle below, for me to work on throughout the week, so the students could witness the exploration and decision making that goes into a sculpture. In discovering what works and what doesn't work, I plodded along with familiar material (nylon netting and steel) using it in a new way. My goal is to use the netting to capture light and create a visual effect that shimmers in the large rectangular picture frame. During the installation we discovered it frames in my childhood home across the valley, located partway up on Talcott Mountain.

As I continue to work on this sculpture, my process is public and, I'll say it, I feel vulnerable. What some people might see as mistakes are actually my way of collecting bits of information until I gather enough to inform my decisions. A common question I hear from students and faculty is, "when will it be done?" I still do not know how this piece will work out. It certainly is telling me a mountain of information.

Students from different universities who are interested in environmental art are welcome through a selected process to intern during the summer and school year. Many students get college credit and have been awarded grants for this opportunity. We welcome all majors. Past interns have been in environmental studies with minors in studio art, religion, architectural and landscape design, food systems, climate justice, art history, for example. Typically we will collaborate with a farm, making work in response to the landscape, people and animals surrounding us. All artistic disciplines are explored. Many times we are experimenting with materials to see what future projects can be realized, other times we are working on a specific project that needs to head out for an exhibition. The studio is dedicated to using art as a communicator of the environmental crisis we all face.